LCD35
Mame
I've never seen a corking bark variety. I have a green and varigerated green/white variety. Where did you get this?
Small P. Afra / Spekboom
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Housguy
Chumono
There was a vendor selling only those at the Huntington Library (Bonzaiathon event) in CA and his story is that it is a genetic defect that occurred on one of his trees (only one/mother ship) and he keeps taking cuttings off it, grows them and sells them at bonsai events.
hemmy
Omono
I’m not sure of the real story, but I’ve read (below) that it originated in a Florida nursery in the ‘60s and Mr. Bogan started propagating it for bonsai. Frank Yee also propagates them and sells them at Bonsai-a-thon. The Huntington offered them in 2015 as part of the ISI sale. Weirdly, I acquired one from Bogan’s Bonsai online, then saw them offered from the Huntington and then saw Mr. Yee’s. So I have them from all 3 sources even though they are all from the same original stock and look identical.
It's Kev
Omono
They don’t grow on their own, they develop dense thick shrubbery that you can literally hide an elephant in, or a whole herd of elephants if you ever visit Addo National Elephant park in South Africa.
Housguy
Chumono
Exactly, I knew Florida was involved in this story, Frank is the guy if anybody is interested in acquiring any of these corkers.
LCD35
Mame
Awesome, thanks for the info!!
Stormwater
Shohin
So they don’t grow on their own in Africa?
DeepSouthBonsai
Seedling
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I thought they all were corkbark.
Housguy
Chumono
I don't think so, I have ones that are pretty old and are smooth barked and then the ones Frank sold me which are cork bark ones.
fredman
Masterpiece
Yeah they do, but because they root so easy from cuttings that falls when animals feed on them, they form new dense thickets readily. As said above they are most prolific in the Addo elephant park in the Eastern Cape in SA.
There actually is huge areas there called Spekboom veld..."veld" meaning fields.
But yeah the odd old ones are seen growing solitary.
It's Kev
Omono
No, because wherever a leaf or branch falls, it’s very likely to start growing. It’s not easy to spot a lone tree, there will always be a couple more around it
hemmy
Omono
Here’s another reference and also a great monograph:
Portulacaria afra Monograph, the Elephant's Food or Spekboom, Part I
www.magiminiland.org
“A corkbark form has been brought to RJB's attention by David Bogan of Lynnville, IN in a personal e-mail 03 Oct 2009. "I recently obtained a seemingly very old (cutting started in the 60's) Portulacaria which exhibits very unusual bark characteristics. The plant was obtained from a tropical grower who used it as a stock plant for cutting for many (20?) years. The grower claims it was originally obtained as a cutting from a plant grown in Florida. According to the original owner, he has always called it a 'cork' bark Portulacaria and it exhibited this characteristic from early on."
RJB proposes that this be entered as a new variety and be labelled "var. corticosa”.”
Housguy
Chumono
Looks good, looks like it needs to recover from the shipping trip, nice get! I don't think they wire very well, not flexible enough and will just snap.
Housguy
Chumono
If you don't mind, how much did you get it for?
Clip and grow is how I commonly train and shape these guys. I have one branch, down low, wired. I agree it's tough to wire these guys.
Pic was taken the day of receiving it. It was priced a little high maybe but I have wanted one for some time. $150. Plus $20 for shipping
Pic was taken the day of receiving it. It was priced a little high maybe but I have wanted one for some time. $150. Plus $20 for shipping
Housguy
Chumono
Thanks, last question, was it shipped to you in a pot or you potted it when you received it?
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